Florence, Italy: Enjoy The Renaissance

the bridge hitler couldn't crush

The Ponte Vecchio is a five-minute walk from the Uffizi. The 14th century structure is miraculous in that it was the one bridge to withstand the onslaught of Nazi warplanes during WWII.

Once home to the city meat market, it is now lined with gold and silversmith shops. It was an education, witnessing the old jewelers work their craft, as tourists with more disposable income than me herded into the cramped shops trying to score a deal.

a meeting with michelangelo

After a relaxing evening munching on authentic pizza, olives and wine, I enjoyed a deep sleep and ventured out at 7:00am for the Galleria. A nocturnal animal by nature, I could not afford the luxury of waking up in the afternoon if I was to take in the splendors of Florence.

A certain marble statue was calling my name. I stood near the front of the line for the museum for over an hour but the experience was enhanced with a spirited conversation about basketball with a father of three from Philadelphia. As the doors opened, my thoughts turned once again to art and culture as I meditated on the fact that I was standing in the cradle of the Renaissance movement.

No amount of preparation can dull the experience of David . I had expected to snake around the museum, viewing less celebrated pieces before being exposed to what is regarded as the definitive work of sculpture. But this was not the case. No sooner had I entered the museum, turned a corner and there he was, at the end of a long, wide corridor. The masterpiece that Michelangelo forged with his own hands, David .

As I stared in awe, I was reminded of the words of an art critic who once said of the statue: "Once you see David, there is no need to ever see another sculpture. It is the be all and end all." How poignant I thought, as I sat down to take in the sight of the triumphant marble shepherd boy.